Intrusive thoughts are sinful?

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For a long time I’ve struggled with “intrusive thoughts” basically just thoughts that randomly of pop in your head and stick around for a while, especially if it’s a thought you really don’t want. Like “don’t think of a pink elephant, whatever you do don’t think about an elephant that is pink!! Don’t do it!” 😂 What did ya think of? Get the idea?

I’ve had OCD and struggled with anxiety for many years. Recently, because I’ve been advancing my faith and trying to really follow God unreservedly, and OCD tends to cling to whatever you fear most, I’ve had some intrusive thoughts in the way of blasphemous thoughts, God’s name in vain, and impure sexual thoughts. Every time they come about, I pray fervently and say “my Jesus, mercy!” Or “ come Holy Spirit!” In an attempt to ward them away, but the more I don’t want them and worry about them, the more they stick around and come. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this sinful? I really hate the thoughts and I wish they would never come again. I wish to be pure in mind, heart and soul! If you’ve experienced this before, do you have any advice?
 
No, intrusive thoughts aren’t and can’t be sinful. Sin requires that we choose to do something.

I realize that if you have OCD and anxiety, it can be difficult to distinguish between intrusive and willful thoughts. Think of it like going to the grocery store and seeing a magazine at the checkout stand with an immodest image on it.
  1. The existence of the magazine is not your fault
  2. The presence of the magazine on the rack is not your fault
  3. Seeing the image and even noting its presence is not your fault.
You would only have committed sin if you picked it up and looked at it, or taken it home with you.

For OCD and anxiety, you need to make sure you’re seeking the proper help to manage it. If you’re not already doing so, counseling is a good idea. And if this manifests itself as scrupulosity, you should speak with your priest about making those distinctions morally.

-Fr ACEGC
 
OCD, like diabetes, is a condition of someone’s body. It requires medical/psychological advice and treatment.
 
HappyCatholic49 said:
Consider this: we all have “intrusive thoughts”…“I should be doing this, I forgot that, I need to do this next, I’m worried about that, I wish I could be better at this, I forgot I wanted to not do that any more…”
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I understand, but I do believe that due to my history of mental disorder, the OCD, my intrusive thoughts are unlike those with “normal” minds.

For example, today something triggered a rather impure memory I once had, and once it popped into my mind I’m like “ugh, I don’t like that” then proceeded to try to “pray it away” with little avail. Kept coming back to mind and I’m getting frustrated because it’s like I feel like I’m sinning, ya know? This crappy impure thought just keeps swirling and won’t go away. So I plugged my headphones in and listen/prayed a rosary on YouTube. Kinda worked. But it’s those kinds of thoughts that bother me.
 
Intrusive thoughts are actually thoughts that come into mind unwanted. They often involve terrible images or thoughts of doing terrible things.

They are disturbing because the person feels they did something wrong or that they are bad because these thoughts come to mind.

Add that to OCD or a brain injury, people really suffer. It’s a cycle. Unwanted thought causes guilt which causes unwanted thought etc.
 
F_Marturana said:
Intrusive thoughts are actually thoughts that come into mind unwanted. They often involve terrible images or thoughts of doing terrible things.
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Or if you’re religious, like me, it often manifests as impure sexual thoughts, or blasphemous thoughts or God’s name in vain, etc. Then those thoughts don’t go away, then the unfortunate person, (me 😂) worries that moral sin has been committed! Even though those thoughts are completely unwanted!
 
You’re no more sinning by having a thought intrude upon you, than you’d be sinning by having a robber intrude upon your home.

You describe a clear orientation of your will against these thoughts. Your will and efforts are good. What intrudes against you without your consent is no sin of yours.

Practical advice: See a trusted, solid priest for guidance. In the meantime, perhaps a redirection of these thoughts may be more constructive than an attempted suppression of them. E.g., if an impure sexual thought intrudes into your mind, choose to say a prayer for the person you’re picturing. And keep praying for them until they drift from your thoughts (in my experience, the enemy is quick to get bored of tempting us to sin, when we turn those temptations into opportunities to affirm the humanity of other people and to pray for their well-being). See an immodest billboard? Pray for the model (e.g. for her to have a good relationship with her family; for her to have a happy day today; whatever). See an indecent cartoon? Say a quick prayer for the animators.

Long story short, it’s not the people who pop into your mind, that you have to push away. People are good, created by God. It’s okay that you think about them. God thinks about them all the time: that’s why they exist. The challenge is the way our thoughts are tempted to think about them, that needs to be redirected. If we allow ourselves to hold these people in our minds, but in prayer for their well-being, it’s my experience that the tension and stress fades away and I no longer feel intruded upon (or at least, I’m managing the intruder well, and sending him on his way again more calmly and smoothly than in the past). It stops feeling like a massive effort requiring intensity of prayer, because I’ve just changed the type of prayer (thoughts) that I’m doing, and that drains the power away from the intruder.
 
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People who are religious often want/need to discuss their illnesses with a priest or other advisor. But this is not treatment. OCD is a result of a bio-chemical imbalance. In itself it has neither spiritual origins nor solutions. If people were posting here complaining of chest pains it would be good to suggest they talk to their spiritual advisors about how they feel. But only after talking to a medical professional able to deal with he physical problem.
 
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